Pearl Lowe's Vintage Craft

Love Pink

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

If you're anything like me, you will have a few piles of magazines squirrelled away inside cupboards or boxes. Maybe you've kept a particular magazine just because you liked one of the photos inside, or perhaps you found one of the articles of interest.
I find the glossy magazines rather expensive these days and so I don't buy them too often...I'll have a quick flit through at the newsagents before I decide to buy...when they're not welded inside a clear plastic bag, that it...(those I refuse to buy!)
Some of the magazines that I've hung on to over the years, date way back to the 80's! If something inside still speaks to me after all that time, then I think they're worthy of keeping...
To contain my mountains of mags, I now snip out the items of interest and add them to an 'inspiration scrap book'. I have several on the go, some for interiors and one for garden design.
I know I'm not the only one who does this...Jane at Posy has a lovely collection of notebooks that she has filled with inspiring photographs.

And my friend Jill, who was one of the organisers of the Saltford Festival, had inspiration books full of ideas for stalls, products and decorations...complete with her scribbled notes to remind her of things to remember during the mammoth amount of organising she undertook.

Its an enjoyable task to sit and do in an evening, with scissors and a glue stick in hand, snipping away and creating an interiors book full of just the things that you like.

The end product is a big fat juicy book tailor made for you!

As you can see, I have an eclectic mix of photos and snippets, all of which I have chosen to inspire me, or just to enjoy looking at. The remains of the mag can be recycled and you're not left with piles of the things cluttering up your cupboards.

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I've also stuck the odd greetings card inside that I've been sent in the past...Like this one of Foxglove Cottage that I just adore!

If you don't already do this, why not have a go?
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Whilst I'm here, I'll carry on and show you some of my latest finds...

Quite a few pieces with a flowery theme...always good! ;-))

Cottagey pictures.

Tins and china.

A lucky find...another Mrs. Beeton's.

A lovely Barbola plaque and pretty antique embroidered tray.

These two old galvanised watering cans had been drilled through the base...They'd make perfect cottage garden planters, so I dressed them up with some colourful garden flowers (inside some cut down plastic bottles full of water) and took them to the shop yesterday.

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I've also been busy making cottage style cushions for the summer season.

Gorgeous Sanderson rose print fabrics.

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I've made some sweet handbags too; all from vintage fabrics and antique lace.

I bought these gorgeously scented sweet pea flowers from the market this morning...

The first I've sniffed this year and 'wow' are they delicious!

Later on this morning, into the shop walked my friend Jill with this wonderful posy from her garden! (Jill, I hasten to add, is not 'ordinary'! - Its always lovely to have friends stop-by!)

Whilst we were chatting, a lovely lady called Lynne arrived. She was on her way home to Cornwall, having been away on holiday, and had been promised a detour via my shop by her hubby! Although not a blogger, Lynne is an avid reader of them and visits most of the vintagey blogs that we all know and love - Apparently Lynne has the pseudonym 'Popsy' and she occasionally leaves comments here and there...So if you've received a comment on your blog from a 'Popsy', I can tell you she is a very lovely lady!...We could have chatted for hours, I think, but the pressure was on a little, as her hubby was waiting in their car for her to finish shopping! ;-))

(It was a pleasure to meet you Lynne and I hope you don't mind me mentioning you on my blog post today!)

Then there was a local lady who visits my shop sometimes...She came in with a tray full of beautifully ripe blueberries under one arm, which she'd bought at the market...asked if I liked them, (I said I loved them!)...and so she gave me the whole tray!

That's not to mention some cards I received in the post this week...It can be the little things that make such a difference to a fairly ordinary week, wouldn't you agree?

Feeling happy this evening, I wasn't going to let the rain deter me from a quick flit around our garden when I got back home...
The poppies are just starting to open...I've managed to raise these from seed for the last couple of years. I'm always amazed how much growth they can produce in just one season, from seemingly nothing at all...

Some of my more 'full headed' roses haven't fared so well in the constant wet conditions... Others are fighting fit!

Here's the new border that I've mentioned before, that I am still creating...its filled out a bit already though.

Other areas are just how I like them...

Wild, woolly and a little bit jungle-like!

A couple of weekends ago, hubby (and future son-in-law) started to create a new path down one side of our garden...And it's barely stopped raining since! - So it remains a WIP!

Last Sunday we took some time off from the chores and DIY projects and took a ride into deepest Somerset...Unfortunately I was 'camera-less', so can't truly share with you the wonderful time we had with Lizzie and Jack at Lizzie's Open House event, but Donna was there too and she has put lots of great photos on her latest post here.

I can however show some of the goodies I bought there and also some I gathered on the way at a convenient car bootie stop-off! (Thanks for the tip-off Lizzie!)

Hubby bought this old chap for me, who was last seen living in Lizzie's barn!